When to salt, in three cases
basics
Everything I got wrong for years, sorted out into three rules.
Meat: early
Salt pulls moisture out, then the meat draws it back in carrying the salt with it. That takes time — forty minutes at minimum, longer for anything thick. Salt applied immediately before cooking is doing half the job: it seasons the surface and wets it, which is precisely wrong if you want a crust.
Vegetables in a pan: late
Salt early and mushrooms release their water into the pan, then stew in it instead of browning. Same for courgettes. Brown first, salt after — the difference is not subtle.
Water: heavily
Pasta water should taste like a mild soup. Most of it goes down the drain; what stays is the only chance to season the pasta itself rather than the sauce sitting on it.
Exception I keep forgetting: aubergine. Salt it early, let it sit,
pat it dry — the water it gives up is water you do not have to fry off later.
Written